


Finding Me

by OMGitsgreen



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Character Study, DRAGON HAND HOLDING, F/M, Fluff, Kija-centric, cuties being cute, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-12 15:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5671648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OMGitsgreen/pseuds/OMGitsgreen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"In that moment, Kija felt himself share a space, a role, a reason with the one he had held most dear. Kija understood, Kija was exalted, Kija became the person he was always meant to be. In that moment he had disappeared, and in the next he was reborn." Kija reflects on how he became the person he was always meant to be, with the people (and person) he was meant to share his life with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Me

**Author's Note:**

> Because Kija ALWAYS needs more love, I decided to write my love letter to his character. I feel like it’s almost a criminal offense how little that I write of him, despite him being one of my favorite characters, so here we are, a Kija-centric fic. One-sided Kija/Yona feelings are canon, but spin around three times and squint and it can also be considered Kija/Yona for everyone rowing the rare ship boat.

“We know what we are, but not what we may be.”  
― William Shakespeare

* * *

Kija wondered when he had disappeared.

He could not recall an instance, a date, a time. It did not bother him as one would probably assume. Kija understood the purpose. It was not done out of malice but instead out of necessity. It was the burden he bared, what he had shared with generation upon generation of Hakuryuus. A sensation that filled up his chest, drew him closer to his father even after his father’s death. It was not a time for mourning, or either of celebration, it was simply an acceptance. It was an acceptance that Kija had always been prepared to make even if he had been unaware at first. For Kija had never just been Kija, not to his village who looked upon him with their hopes and dreams, with their ancestors’ greatest wishes. And Kija knew that it was because of that he was honored in a way that most people could never dream of being.

And so when his Grandmother looked upon him, eyes filled with something softer than sorrow, something deeper than love, something secret, something grand, Kija felt that place in his heart fill with pride. In that moment, Kija felt himself share a space, a role, a reason with the one he had held most dear. Kija understood, Kija was exalted, Kija became the person he was always meant to be. In that moment he had disappeared, and in the next he was reborn.

“Lord Hakuryuu,” his grandmother called to him.

Kija smiled.

* * *

“Kija, you really should have told Yun that you got hurt,” Yona told him with a sigh, as she wrapped the bandage around his arm.

“Yun already has much on his mind considering how much worse off Jaeha and Shin-ah were, this really was nothing princess,” Kija assured Yona’s, whose eyes violet eyes filled with tender regard made his cheeks heat up considerably. Kija was kicking himself. For in trying to avoid troubling Yun he had succeeded in troubling the princess, which was the last thing on the list of things he had wanted. But Jaeha and Shin-ah had more considerable damage from the scuffle with the bandits then he had, and Kija had wanted nothing more than for them to receive the care they needed. After all, he had only received a gash, something that could be bound up and taken care of later. Kija had already planned to address it with Yun after he was finished with Shin-ah and Jaeha, and had been attempting to bind it up himself in the mean time when Yona had found him.

“Even if it is nothing, you still need to be taken care of,” Yona told him firmly. “You are just as reckless as Hak, so please take care of yourself better.”

“Forgive me, princess,” Kija said bowing his head, feeling a pain wrenching his heart. How foolish, he berated himself. The princess was right, of course she was! By not taking care of himself, he was not taking care of her or the other dragons. Truly he could be so naïve at times it frustrated him to no end that he couldn’t see these utterly common sense things. Kija still could learn to be so much stronger, so much better to everyone.

New things to strive for, new things to learn. How utterly blessed am I to be able to receive these things, Kija thought. 

Suddenly at that moment Kija’s was jarred from his thoughts by Yona’s finger hooking under his chin and forcing his gaze back up to meet hers. Kija’s warmed cheeks suddenly spread their warmth with heat breaking out over his skin, down his neck, to the tip of his ears at Yona’s intense gaze. Kija’s mind was immediately flooded with the thoughts he would most like to avoid because Yona was beautiful. Beautiful in the meaning she gave to everything, beautiful in her wild red curls that flicked and danced in the wind like a tenderly tended to flame, beautiful in her smile and presence and everything.

“You always look down,” Yona said with a pout. “You should always have your head turned upwards, Kija. So that I can see your face.”

“M-my face, p-princess?” Kija spluttered out embarrassed.

“Because I always love seeing your expressions, of course,” Yona told him with a seriousness that flickered with good humor. “When I look into your face, Kija, I can always tell. I think that’s very special and beautiful.”

“You’re the beautiful one, princess,” Kija blurted out. 

“Such a charmer,” Yona giggled. 

“Princess…if I may ask one thing?” Kija dared to ask her.

“Anything.”

“Am I…have I been of use to you?”

“Kija…” Yona said pulling her hand away from his chin and instead resting it upon his wrist.

The sensation skittered over his scales alive and nearly made him twitch, and then he shuddered at her warm, soft fingers glided from his elbow to the inside of his wrist, circling his palm, following the ridged patterns of his scales in curiosity again and again. It felt good. It felt right in a way that Kija couldn’t describe. If he had been red before, certainly at that point he was nearly purple, but he felt frozen and rooted to the spot. Yona looked up from his scales to meet Kija’s more than likely perplexed and terrified expression with a smile.

“Kija,” Yona repeated, pressing the palm of hand against his palm, and unbidden his talons curled around her hand. He had the strength to crush mountain rock in that hand, but there was no hesitation from her as she squeeze his hand and brought her other hand to cup it, soothingly stroking his knuckles with her thumb. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Kija asked her, desperate for the answer. “For what, princess?”

“There’s too much, I wouldn’t know where to begin,” Yona giggled, fresh and sweet like a bubbling stream before smiling a smile that made Kija feel like his eyes would begin to water, but because of a pain that was sweeter than pain, and a warmth that was gentler than heat. “But thank you, Kija. You really do try your best.”

“You think so?” Kija said hopefully, before removed her touch on the back of his hand, and instead Yona reached up to pat his head.

“I know so! So don’t worry so much,” Yona promised him, giving his hand a squeeze. “And let me know when you need help.”

“Thank you, princess,” Kija said, his smile feeling wobbly and his feelings fluttering about his chest like the beat of his heart.

_Thank you, for helping to find me again._


End file.
